


The Artist and Her Admirer

by Feitutanota



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Blood and Gore, Eventual Smut, F/M, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Stalking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:41:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26375914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feitutanota/pseuds/Feitutanota
Summary: You're a critically-acclaimed artist in Yorknew City, and Feitan has taken an interest in your work...and in you.
Relationships: Feitan (Hunter X Hunter)/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 132





	1. Yorknew City Gallery and Museum Opening

Feitan had always been a fan of art. Indeed, when he wasn't busy with his role as the Phantom Troupe's interrogator, he would usually immerse himself in art books - particularly those about his favourite artist: Trevor Brown. And so his presence in Yorknew's grand City Gallery and Museum opening was no surprise to anyone who knew him.

Phinks offered to accompany him to the event although Feitan wasn't sure why given that the blond wasn't exactly a fan of art himself. Nonetheless, he agreed. Phinks was always great company anyway.

"Oi, Feitan," Phinks called to him, "Do you think there's anything worth stealing here?"

Feitan glared at his companion, annoyed that his one night of leisure might turn into work. "I guess we will see." Was his response.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You were considered one of Yorknew's finest up-and-coming artists, and your work had its own section in the opening.

_God, I hate these snobby events,_ you thought to yourself. You wore a little black dress - about the only "formal" attire in your wardrobe - with dark lipstick to match. Standing at only 5 feet flat, you're a tiny thing but you have curves that filled out your dress beautifully. Your sleeveless dress exposed the ferocious-looking animal tattoos that decorated your back and right arm.

Your art would be considered dark and macabre by many, but the truth is that you yourself are a quiet, gentle person who'd prefer to keep to herself rather than be in the limelight. Expressing yourself through art was the only way you knew how to reach out to the world; without such an outlet, you just wouldn't know how to relate to people.

Although popular, your art isn't the kind that would cause an audience to linger in front of it - quite the opposite, it was more common for your paintings to evoke a strong first impression before causing the viewer to scurry away, disturbed. Not being one to talk much about your work (or about anything in general, really), this response worked out just fine for you.

So you were caught by surprise when one person stared at your works a lot longer than you were used to. _He must've been in this section for 15 minutes now,_ you thought. _Very interesting._

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Magnificent,_ Feitan thought to himself as he studied your brushstrokes. _Whoever made this is a connoisseur of pain - someone who walks with death daily. Someone who understands me._ He made a mental note to himself to pick up any books he can find on the artist, committing their name to memory.

"Enjoying the event?" You asked him. Feitan was startled, he wasn't used to people randomly talking to him like that. He took his time before finally looking at you, and he was even more surprised at what he saw. _Holy fuck, she's beautiful,_ he thought.

Feitan was only a little over an inch taller than you, so you got a good look at his features. His eyes were dark and brooding and before you'd roused him from his concentration, his gaze was intense. He had black, mid-length hair and a pale complexion. He wasn't what society would consider to be "conventionally attractive", but he just so happened to be exactly your type. Perhaps that's what made you walk up to him in the first place.

When he finally answered, his voice was deep and he had an accent you couldn't trace. "The event is fine, but I find this section the most worthwhile."

You smiled when he complimented your work. "People don't usually look at my work for as long as you have." 

His grey eyes widened when he realised you were the artist. "You are...very talented," he said breathlessly.

His words made you blush and he noticed this. _Cute,_ he thought. He wondered what else he could do to elicit that reaction. And then his mind began to wonder what other parts of your body would look like while flushed, damp with sweat, and aching with want...but he stopped that train of thought when he felt himself getting hard.

_I want her,_ he thought.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feitan found Phinks at the antiquities section of the museum, intermittently using _Zetsu_ to conceal himself before slipping rare objects into his coat unnoticed. He saw Feitan's distraught expression and asked what was wrong.

"I want her," was all he managed to say. _No, that's not it._ Feitan thought. _We're thieves - if we want something, we simply take it. But I don't just want her...I want her to want me back._

His tall friend looked concerned - this was the first time he'd seen Feitan this flustered. "Do we have a target here?" He asked in a low voice.

"No, not a target. But there's a woman. An artist. She's...fascinating."

Phinks continued to stare at him in bewilderment before smoothing his hair back and saying, "Right, where is she then?"

Feitan shot him a look of confusion before leading him back to your section. There were a couple of people there, but as you'd told him previously they left pretty quickly.

Phinks walked up to you and introduced himself, extending a hand.

"Your work left a very strong impression on my friend here," he said. "Would you care to join us for a drink after the event?"


	2. Drinks with Phinks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You join Phinks and Feitan for drinks after the event, and when Phinks leaves you two alone Feitan gets to know more about you and your work.

Feitan didn't know whether to thank Phinks or beat the crap out of him. You looked surprised by the blond man's offer to have drinks with them after the event, but you quickly managed a smile and accepted. Phinks looked pleased with himself.

 _Guess I'll have to thank him then,_ Feitan thought.  
"Does your friend have a name?" you asked, looking at him.

"Feitan."

You extended your hand and he shook it firmly.

"I'm F/N."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They took you to a bar not far from the gallery, and although Feitan was quiet his friend was doing his best to ensure you'd both participate in conversation. You couldn't help but find Phinks' attempts at being a wingman to his brooding friend endearing, and you were glad you accepted their invitation.

There were a few customers at the bar but it was still quiet enough for you to hold a conversation. Phinks grabbed a table, and you sat opposite him and Feitan.

"Are you guys from around here?" you ask them.

"No, not at all. We're from...far away. A place most people don't know of. We're just here on business." Phinks said.

You took a sip of your wine before asking what sort of business.

Feitan's eyes narrowed before saying, "We work in the procurement of goods." _Good answer. Technically the truth, but still vague and boring enough to prevent further questions,_ he thought.

Phinks then asked if you were form Yorknew City.

"Oh not at all. Like yourselves I'm from some random place most people haven't heard of. I've lived in Yorknew for a few years now though. Prior to my exhibit at the gallery, I was doing commissions for clients here."

"Your exhibit is very impressive," Feitan said. "What was the message behind it?"

It was a common question you received as an artist - one which you often didn't respond to. You felt you didn't owe your audience an explanation; indeed, the beauty in good art is that its meaning can very depending on the viewer's understanding. Who were you to say that their interpretation wasn't valid? It was real to them, and that's what matters.

You stared Feitan as you thought of how to verbalise your response. Phinks left the table, muttering some excuse about having to make a phone call.

"I don't normally respond to that," you finally said. "But...I suppose I was just trying to capture the darkness we all have inside of us. It interests me somehow."

Feitan leaned forward, still holding your gaze. "And do you think there's a darkness in me?" he asked in a low voice.

"Like I said, we all have some darkness inside of us."

He looked both amused and satisfied with your answer, smirking before leaning back in his chair. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phinks eventually returned to the table before apologising and claiming he had to leave in a hurry, but he encouraged you and Feitan not to end the night abruptly on his account. You didn't need to be told twice - the dark-haired stranger fascinated you. 

You weren't much of a drinker so after you'd finished your wine you asked if he could walk you home.

He continued to eye you curiously, although he was a man of few words so you had to lead the conversation. Despite his gruff demeanour, you found him easy to talk to, and eventually you started talking more about yourself.

"I don't really have any family because I grew up in an orphanage," you told him. "I was glad to make it out of where I came from, and although Yorknew isn't my favourite place, I'm able to make a living here doing something that I enjoy so I'm thankful for that."

"Is there any other kind of art that you do, apart from painting?"

"Oh all sorts. They try to encourage a multidisciplinary approach when you go to art school, so you're not just shoehorned into one thing. I did photography for a while, but I think painting is more suited to me."

"I would be interested to see your photographs." Feitan said.

You eyed him curiously. What you left out when you mentioned your photography background is that the subject you captured the most was _Kinbaku_ or tight bondage. If it were anyone else, you would have made up some excuse not to show them your photos, but something tells you Feitan would find them fascinating.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your apartment was simple but tastefully designed. You had a couple of your paintings decorating your walls, and Feitan looked at them with obvious admiration. He declined your offers for coffee or tea, and you motioned for him to sit next to you on the couch before taking out your photography book.

"I suppose I should give you some warning: the subject I enjoyed photographing the most was bondage. So some of the photos might be a bit shocking."

Feitan's eyes widened at this information, and it took a tremendous amount of effort for him to prevent himself from getting a hard on. _Her paintings, these photos...this is the darkness in her that she spoke about. I wonder if there's more to it._ The thought excited him.

The composition and lighting in the photos was impressive, and you made sure to get models of all shapes and sizes. Beyond the subject of bondage, you were also interested in capturing the beauty of the female form beyond societal conventions of attractiveness. Feitan looked at the photos with great interest, and a big part of you wanted to get to know him more.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, how was your evening? I'm surprised you're back so early." Phinks teased Feitan upon his return to their hotel. "What ever happened to 'we're thieves, we take what we want'?"

"I have to go through this slowly, I have plans for her." Feitan said in a calm voice.


	3. Old habits bring new surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feitan resolves to gather more information about you and is surprised at what he finds.

Feitan would have preferred not to stalk you, but old habits die hard.

He first conducted research on you with Shalnark's assistance. Luckily Shal was happy to help without asking too many questions. Feitan learned about your troubled childhood: how your parents died in a freak accident when you were an infant, leaving you to eventually be adopted by your uncle. Then when you were 6 years old, your uncle was murdered. Eventually you were passed along the foster care system - going from one foster family to another - a lack of stability due to you constantly attempting to run away. When you were 16, you were finally able to live independently.

You then took on various jobs to make ends meet: manual labour, waitressing, working at a cinema, until finally you landed a job as a security guard in an art gallery. This seemed to have awakened your love for the arts. You eventually entered an art competition and won a scholarship to one of Yorknew's most prestigious art schools. There were newspaper articles about your win praising your talent - detailing how, for lack of funds, you made use of old toothbrushes and scrap cardboard instead of paintbrushes and canvases. Rich assholes always loved sob stories like this, and Feitan imagined them offering you a scholarship as way of placating their guilt for hoarding wealth in a world where so many go hungry. Still, you were definitely talented so he couldn't help but think they made the right choice.

Eventually, he started following you around. He had to give himself credit for exercising some semblance of control when it came to watching you. For example: he considered your home to be your private space and deemed it off-limits to his prying eyes unless you specifically invited him in. Truthfully he set that restriction partly for his own benefit: he liked the idea that there were facets of your personality that would one day surprise him.

Although admittedly, you didn't spend most of your time at home anyway. Feitan found it odd that you seemed to enjoy the presence of others without the pressure of having to interact with them. You seemed most content while people-watching at a café, for example. And even when you did meet up with friends, acquaintances, or clients, you seemed to prefer to having a more passive role in conversations.

He adored how expressive your face was. Based on what he's observed, some of your clients were probably complete idiots, but they were too self-absorbed to notice your frustrated expression while talking to them. He learned that you took your coffee black, had a regular exercise routine, and spent most of your free time in a painting studio that you rented on the other side of Yorknew.

The location of the studio concerned him, and he couldn't help but wonder if you were naïve or if you still lacked money for having chosen a place in such a shady location. _She should be thankful I'm keeping an eye on her now,_ he thought. _At least I can step in if someone gives her any trouble._

This is where you would come to surprise him.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feitan was watching you as you left your studio one night. There was a group of three unpleasant-looking men outside the building, and they were leering at you when you walked in earlier that afternoon. Part of him wanted to decapitate them there and then, but he decided to hold back. Seeing the carnage might frighten you, so he figured it would be better to make a move on them once you're safely at home.

He kept a close eye on you as you exited the building, and when one of the men grabbed you from behind he was ready to pounce.

Except...

The man yelped in pain and something fell to the ground...

His right hand was cut clean off.

Looking back at you, Feitan saw that there was a small smirk on your face and you held up a knife menacingly. The other two men were livid and looked as if they were about to tackle you when another thing happened that caught Feitan by surprise.

 _She's a Nen user,_ he realised.

He could clearly see the glow of your aura, menacing in its intensity. Your knife-free left hand hovered over your right arm, adorned with a lion tattoo. It was as if the image was walking out of your skin, and soon enough there was a full-sized lion made of Nen standing before you. It roared before mauling the terrified men to death.

He was at a loss for words. With blood splattered across your face, you looked over at the men's corpses stoically before looking right at Feitan and smiling.

You were a lot more interesting than he'd initially thought.


	4. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You speak to Feitan about your background and how you came to know Nen.

After the carnage he witnessed, the word "shocked" didn't even begin to cover what Feitan was feeling. He froze, unsure of what to do as you slowly approached him. Under different circumstances your bloodstained face would have looked almost erotic to him, but right now he was more concerned about you perceiving him as another threat. He figured the best thing to do would be to stand his ground, so he waited for you to come closer.

You stopped a few metres away from him, and on instinct he activated his _Ren._ This caused you to tilt your head to the side in curiosity, marvelling at the beauty of his aura. Despite the concern he felt for his own safety, he couldn't help but find that adorable.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Feitan." You said with a calm voice.

He brought his _Ren_ down to _Ten_ before moving closer to you cautiously.

"Given my experience in _Nen_ , it was easy for me to notice that you'd been following me these last couple of weeks. I don't really mind, and I appreciate you giving me some space when I'm at home, but you know you could have just asked me out on a date like a normal person."

He chuckled in disbelief. This was all so bizarre, almost like a dream.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After he'd finally lowered his guard, Feitan agreed to join you in your studio after you assured him that you'd explain everything.

Despite its rather unfortunate location, the studio itself was a great place. You managed to rent out a room big enough to house several large canvases and countless art supplies. There was a space with portrait lighting which Feitan assumed was used for photography. He felt his cock beginning to stir at the memory of your bondage photography, and he forced himself to focus his attention elsewhere.

There was a rather comfortable sofa set in the centre of your studio, and when you offered to make him coffee the only response he could muster was a weak shrug. Eventually, you set two large mugs down on the table in front of you and settled next to him on the sofa. The blood on your face had dried, and you were dabbing at it with a wet cloth.

"Considering all the stalking you did, I assume you know at least a few things about me already. Let's hear them, then." Your tone was playful, and Feitan was glad he had his scarf to hide his involuntary smirk.

"I know that you're an orphan, and that you went to art school on a scholarship," he said slowly. Not usually one for expressing sympathy, he hastily added, "I'm sorry about your family."

You gave him a warm smile that made his heart flutter. "Anything else?"

Feitan wasn't sure what you meant. Everything he'd read about your life - tragic as it was - seemed really mundane. The revelation that you were a _Nen_ user came as a complete shock to him, and he'd told you as much.

You leaned back on the sofa then, your gaze calculating. "I guess Sylny is as thorough as he always claims to be."

"Sylny?" He asked.

You put the cloth down and reluctantly told him your story.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't remember my parents, they both died when I was very young. I don't think I'd even seen photos of them. My Uncle Cobalt looked after me until he eventually died, and I barely even remember him. After that it was a series of foster homes, but there was always Sylny. Have you heard of the Himoyachi?"

Feitan's eyes widened at the mention of the mysterious gang. If the Phantom Troupe were afforded relative anonymity thanks to their Meteor City origins, the Himoyachi were a step further in that barely anything is known about them beyond word-of-mouth. Many have even dismissed them as an urban legend. All actions (positive and negative) claimed to have been committed by the Himoyachi were eventually attributed to the Phantom Troupe instead for lack of leads, and the Troupe themselves have never cared enough to deny it. They'd just assumed these were moves by various rival gangs in different cities and that the police pointed fingers at them to make up for their own incompetence. They never paid it much attention considering their own targets were never affected, although Feitan had always suspected that Chrollo was a bit miffed by the mystery surrounding it all.

You chuckled, amused at his expression changing from vague familiarity to frustration. "It's OK. Like I said, Sylny is thorough. He took over as my protector after my uncle - who was also a member - had passed. He was the one who taught me _Nen._ The ways of the Himoyachi are a secret even to me, so I just know of Sylny and a few others. And if I'm being honest, I haven't seen them in years." You stretched before reaching for the cloth and continuing to dab at the dried blood on your face.

"So you were part of the gang?" He finally asked.

"Me? No, definitely not. They took me in when I was 6 and taught me how to protect myself. I guess they did it because they felt bad about my uncle. All I knew about him was that he was a member and was eventually murdered, and I'd imagine those 2 things aren't unrelated."

You managed to get most of the blood off your face, but there were still a few spots you missed. Feitan motioned for you to hand him the cloth before reluctantly moving to wipe off what remained. This was the closest he'd ever been to you so far, and the proximity was intoxicating. You blushed at his closeness, and again his cock began to stir in his pants.

"I'm a member of the Phantom Troupe," he murmured. He didn't know why he told you that, but he felt he owed you something for your honesty.

If you were surprised by this, you certainly did a good a job of hiding it. Instead it was Feitan who was caught by surprise when you leaned into him for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! First of all I would like to thank you very much for the kudos and kind comments on my work :) I'm sorry that it took me so long to write an update - I think we're all dealing with a bit of COVID craziness right now. I hope you're keeping safe and now that I know some people are interested in this story, I'll make sure to try and update more often. I hope you enjoy this update!


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